Chapter 12 - THE MAN IN THE HOUSE
Everyone dropped.
Another gunshot shattered the basement light.
Victor’s men ran toward the stairs.
One fell backward.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Daniel fired toward the doorway.
“DOWN!”
Sebastian covered Claire.
A man descended through the smoke.
Gray jacket.
Daniel recognized him from the storage facility.
The attacker fired.
Victor ducked behind a support beam.
Daniel returned fire.
The man retreated.
Sebastian shouted, “Who is he?”
Victor yelled, “Reyes’s son!”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“Ethan Reyes!”
The attacker shouted from upstairs.
“My father died because of you!”
Daniel fired again.
Ethan disappeared.
Victor explained quickly.
Paul Reyes had spent years drowning in guilt.
Before his death, he had recorded his confession.
Ethan found it.
But he misunderstood part of the story.
He believed Mara had blackmailed his father and the Stellans had destroyed him.
“He wants B17,” Claire said.
“Why?”
Victor answered.
“Because B17 also contains evidence Paul took money.”
A crash sounded upstairs.
Then tires.
Ethan escaped.
Sebastian grabbed Victor.
“You knew he was watching Lily.”
“I suspected.”
“You should have told me!”
“And said what? Hello, Sebastian, your father helped cover up an arson, your sister witnessed a woman’s death, and a dead cop’s son may be stalking your child?”
“Yes!”
Victor laughed bitterly.
“That family honesty you suddenly love would have been useful eleven years ago.”
Sebastian punched him.
Victor hit the floor.
Claire shouted, “Sebastian!”
Sebastian stood over his uncle.
“You threatened Claire.”
Victor wiped blood from his mouth.
“Yes.”
“You helped cover up Mara’s death.”
“Yes.”
“You let Daniel believe a lie.”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re still going to prison.”
Victor stared at him.
“I know.”
That answer surprised everyone.
Sirens sounded outside.
Daniel looked through the basement window.
“Police.”
Victor stood.
“I called them before you arrived.”
Claire stared.
“Why?”
“Because this ends tonight.”
Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A video message.
Unknown number.
He opened it.
Lily appeared on screen.
Sebastian grabbed the phone.
“No.”
The video showed Lily sitting in the back seat of a car.
Crying.
A man’s voice spoke.
“Bring B17 to Bellweather Tower.”
Sebastian turned toward Claire.
“You said Lily was with Rachel.”
Claire’s face went white.
Then Sebastian remembered.
They had left Lily at the hospital with the babysitter after police arrived.
His phone rang.
Hospital security.
“Mr. Stellan?”
“Yes?”
“Your daughter is missing.”
Sebastian’s knees nearly gave out.
The caller continued.
“A man identified himself as her grandfather.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Judge Malcolm Mercer had supposedly died nine years ago.
Sebastian whispered, “Your father is dead.”
Daniel’s face had become pure fear.
“No.”
May you like
He looked at the video again.
“My father faked his death.”
